The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-13
A Shower of Hash.
Alex. sweet, tn Texas siflinss.

me ldoW Faplack Is one ot the most charitable women in Austin, even if she does keep d boarding house. Her heart iS better than Der table. No hungry tramp ever Jeff the Flapjack House on Austin Avenue with va cant stomach.
 The late Mir. Flapjack was a iourn- alist by profession, and during his life, before she kept boarding house, she learned in the severe school of personal experience what dreadful thing hunger is, hence she has sympa- thy for all those who want something to bite.
 A wretched looking Id man ran4 the door bell, and told the old. old story about not having tasted food for forty eight hours. &c.
 "Takc seat in the hall and I'll bring you something nice" said Mrs FlApjack goinn into the Kitchen and returning with large plate of hash, which she gave the old man saving i: f"llere my good fellow, here k some nice hash for you"
 The tramp took the plate, and the widow Flapjaok withdrew, so that the poor man could eat as heartily as he pleased.
 Now, as it happened, the tramp was stalled on hash, so to speak Twice that morning had he encompasscd hash, SD he turned up his nose at this third enstallmcnt of the stuil. Still he did not say anything while Mrs. Flapiack was present. He merely re- marked To himself; II don't want to hurt the old gals feelings. She means well, but am not going to founder myself on hash to suit anybody. am mol regular bonrtler here"
 He looked around, and seeing an upturncd umbrella on the hat rack, he carefully poured the contents of the plate into the "inards" of the umbrel- la.
 In a few minutes, Mrs, Flapjack re- turned. and the tramp gracefully handed her the vacant plate, and thank ing her for her bounty took his departure.
 "llow hungry that poor fellow must have been,' remarked the wid- oW.
 This occurred on Wednesday, and as the weather was fine there was no occasion to use the umbrella. The hash did not keep as well as if it had been placed on ice, but nobody ..new that it was the hash that caused the boarders to leave their windows open at nights. The city authorities were blamed for not cleaning up the strests, and cholera was confidently pre- dicted.
 On Sunday the widow Flapjack, decked out in her best clothes with a jaunty hat on her head, stood h the front door of the Flapjack House with Gus De Smith, one Of the board wearing pearl colored plug on his head. He had promised to accompany her to the local tabernacle.
 Ut looks like rain," remarked Gus De Smith, taking the umbrella from the rack.
 Great Heavens! what A peculiar smell there is in the hall" remarke the widow, "I think 1 had better send to the office of the gas company and have them send man here to exam- inc the gas fixtures. There is leak here somewhere"
 On their way to church, Gus re- marked several times that unless the city authorities cleaned up the town cholera would be sure to break out.
 Gus De Smith and rybody else in the vicinity of the Flapjack pew noticed the peculiar smell of escaped gas. After the services were over, on reaching the vestibule of the church, which was crowded, Gus saw thst it WAS raining outside. He held the um- brella over his head, gave 1t A shake, and partially raised it.
 In a moment there was a rush for the open air. A shower of decom. posed hash was spread over every body in the immediate vicinity. The widow Fhpjack took some of it home on the back of her neck, and Gus had A. much of it as he needed in one of his pockets, and on his hat. Gus De smith, imnagining that 1t was put up job by one of the bosrders who jealous of the attentions shown him by the Iandlady, was about to make it a personal matter, but Mrs. Flapjaek remembering the celerity with which the tramp cleared his plate of hash, ex- plained how the hash came in the um- brella, and the matter was adjusted without detrimeDt to the honor of ci- ttfer party.
 i4yiae ta usfh<rx Mrs. Windows